any new facebook plots?

[greenoak]

have you seen any new good facebook things for small local businesses going on out there?
im always looking for good content ideas to use...... our fans are up over 980 now..yay!!! .i want to engage them as well as possible...
Green Oak Antiques | Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/greenoakantiques)

[Harold Mansfield]

Don't know any new Facebook tools. You seem to be more up on it than most

[greenoak]

.. its so new and different...im hoping some more active business users get on here who would share their experiences....... so far for me its mainly a big experiment..
.i know a couple of others who are doing even more than me...one tags a lot..im trying to get good content...and not just about come buy from me me me...

[AaronConway]

I agree with eborg9 that you seem to be the most up to date on FB. You're doing a great job. As far as content goes, you can find other people in your industry on FB and Twitter and see what they're talking about. There must be a gift association that publishes articles helpful to business owners that you could point your wholesale customers to and find any "hot decorating trend" articles for your retail customers.

[greenoak]

aaron...what do you tell your clients to do on facebook? my most popular post so farr was a small disaster with broken dishes all over the floor....
i try and do what you said....seeing others is always so good...

[dynocat]

ann, as others said, you're doing great. For more, google "what to tell your fans on facebook" or "how to engage your Facebook fans." You'll find lots of ideas. Some might work for your type of business. Good luck.

[AaronConway]

It's different depending on the business but one thing to remember is that the posts can't always be sell, sell, sell. Talk about the weather, was somebody famous in town recently, is somebody on the staff having a baby, post a picture of a beautiful sunset over the store, did you go on a recent buying trip and of course what's new in the store or on sale.

Keep up the great work.

[greenoak]

we hit 1000 today...... its mostly, but not all, women....and lots over 40 yrs old...one post i want to put on is mental health holiday tips!!! and maybe how to set a table for the holidays... ...my aim...perky cute and useful....
i really think there is a new job out there::: a social secretary!!! to manage social media for stores...so many of my wholesale customers want a facebook page but havent got a clue...and as an added service maybe combined with doing their constant contact....both would use the same pictures and basic ideas... .... i sure cant offer the service, but its a natural for some smart marketer out there.....
www.facebook.com/greenoakantiques

[Patrysha]

There were two examples in an article I read recently. It was geared towards authors, but I think the idea is easily translatable to small business owners. The concept is providing a signature experience, something built to be unique to your business on FB.

The first example was "expert Fridays" every second Friday they would feature a guest post on FB and have the expert answer questions for an hour directly on the wall.

The other was a "Member of the Month" club, choosing an active member/fan to spotlight with their own tab with a bio, pic etc

And for the record there are marketers actively working with their clients in the social media sphere...but using the same content in a newsletter list and on FB would be counterproductive...each requires a slightly different treatment and approach. One of the problems is that once you bring a pro into the picture, you sm efforts are no longer free and that can be a bit tricky as results are a bit harder to establish as the path to purchase gets a bit muddied up...

[greenoak]

good ideas patrysha... !!! i really like the member of the month....i could use their pictures , how they do their house and how they use what they get from us..ive tried to encourage fans to send me pictures but maybe i should try harder.... ..my trouble is usually that i cant stick to a schedule...i could delegate it tho....
that would be great content...
some blog friends of mine do something similar to your expert idea..,one has an expert post every monday, digging deep into one field, like buttons, lava lamps, mc coy , etc etc.... its real popular....shes a research person...
the few times ive done that on the blog its been commented on...sounds kind of long for facebook tho...
we rarely know our path to purchase anyway.....we are so many places, word of mouth, website, blog, facebook, etc etc.. ............and i figure my time is at least 20$$ an hour so hiring out or delegating isnt usually a problem for me...unless they are way over that...
our facebook is at 1015 now, 15 new fans since 10/29....im not sure whats happening...
thanks dynocat...i never tried googling a question ...???

[AaronConway]

...
i really think there is a new job out there::: a social secretary!!! to manage social media for stores...so many of my wholesale customers want a facebook page but havent got a clue...and as an added service maybe combined with doing their constant contact....both would use the same pictures and basic ideas... .... i sure cant offer the service, but its a natural for some smart marketer out there.....
Green Oak Antiques | Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/greenoakantiques)

The problem is most small businesses don't see the value in hiring somebody to do those things or think they can't afford it. One of the reasons I have my job is because there are seven small businesses that make up the company I work for. I'm starting to put out a few feelers to let people know I'm open to additional work outside my regular work hours. We'll see how it pans out.

Aaron

[Spider]

That's interesting, Aaron. What is it you do, exactly. I mean, if I know of a small business that needs that kind of service what is it that they need, how will I recognize they need it and how can I sell it to them to pass them along to you as a referral?

[AaronConway]

I was hired to handle social media for these seven businesses but it has already grown into much more...which I'm very happy about. I'm responsible for Facebook, Twitter, blog writing, email marketing and web site content. I also have a lot of e-commerce experience so I'm able to help bring a business online or give recommendations on an existing web site. I always make it clear that I am not a webmaster or graphic designer. I can work with the business' existing resources or I have a couple people that I work with that can get any job done.

With my last business my name and contact info were everywhere and there was a lot of mixing between personal and business. I learned an important lesson there so no more of that. People can contact me through my twitter account, NHSocialMedia.

I'm happy to answer any questions but my time on this forum is somewhat limited because I'm so busy during the day.

Aaron

[greenoak]

thats great aaron!!! just the kind of service i was talking about ....
i think a big drawback is the UNKNOWN PRICE....many stores i know have really paid out way more than they were led to believe..and got way less in results.... probably partly their fault too...anyway they are gun shy....lots of fraud out there...or at least well meaning but half baked experts.......
maybe if you showed a strict package and just what you would do for a certain amount you could get around this problem....
lots of women owners i know , know they should be out there on the web better, but just arent that into learning all it takes to so it right...

[AaronConway]

i think a big drawback is the UNKNOWN PRICE....many stores i know have really paid out way more than they were led to believe..and got way less in results....

Ann,

This happened to me as well which is how I learned how to do all these things. At this point, I'm not ready to put together a web site or rush into a big marketing plan. I'm taking this very slowly. I've rushed into things in the past with not always the best results so for now I'm simply making some business people I know aware that I'm available for a no-pressure/low key consultation about what I may be able to help them with. I'm also doing some free work for organizations close to my heart.

Lots of lessons learned from my last business.

Aaron